Two Children Killed in Dallas Crash Caused by 100 MPH Driver

A man thought to be driving more than an astonishing 100 mph killed two children the day after Thanksgiving. Kevin Walker was speeding down Highway 175 when he slammed into the car carrying two adults and three children about 1:30 p.m.

A 12 year-old little boy was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. His 13 month-old baby sister died soon after at a local hospital. The impact was so great that Walker’s car flipped.

Walker was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter. But he had the nerve to deny he was speeding.

Speeding Lengthens Braking Time

I took depositions in Dallas on Wednesday and speed and braking distances were discussed at length.

Had Walker been travelling at 45 mph as he claims, and assuming he had good tires, he might have been able to stop his car in about 200 feet — or 2/3 of a football field.

A car travelling at 100 mph would take as long as 720 feet — over two football fields — between the driver recognizing the need to stop, slamming on the brakes and the car coming to a halt.

Of course, we all know that day was a very wet day, making the roads slick with rain. Weather conditions can drastically affect braking time.

The tires simply can’t grip the wet pavement and so slide. Drivers must begin braking sooner and cannot slam on the brakes without potentially losing control.

During or following rain, drivers have a duty to adjust their speed and distance between cars to safe levels to account for wet roads.

Injuries Increase with Speed

In addition to not being able to avoid the accident, high speeds also make accidents much worse. The 55 mph speed limit on our nation’s interstates was repealed in 1995, sparking increases in speed limits to 65, 70 or 75 mph in most states.

Deaths and serious injuries increased as a result. In fact, 12,545 deaths and 36,582 injuries were attributed to the increased speed limits that took effect during the 1995 to 2005 study period.